Recently, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification: wireless automatic operation identification) tag of various types to exchange information by non-contact through the electric wave is paid to attention between external equipment, for example, the reader writer. As a kind of such RFID tag, there is proposed the one of the composition in which the antenna pattern and the integrated circuit chip for the electric wave communication are installed on the base seat that consists of plastic or paper. With respect to the use of such a type of RFID tag, there is considered a utility form in which it is put on an article and the like, and the article is identified by exchanging information on the article with external equipment. The system using the RFID tag is put to practical use in all fields of, for instance, agriculture, the fishery, manufacturing, distribution, service, the medical treatment, welfare, public, the administration, traffic, and transportation, or is examined.
When such RFID tag is developed and manufactured, the performance examination of the wireless communication performance that is one of the main performances of the RFID tag is done. Work of irradiating the electric wave from a predetermined antenna to the RFID tag to imitate the communication of the RFID tag is performed in such an examination so far. Here, when such work as mentioned above is done in the manufacturing premises of the RFID tag for instance, there is a possibility of occurrence of such inconvenience that electric wave, which is emitted from the antenna at the time of the test and traveled to the periphery of the examination area, has an effect on the operation of the peripheral equipment in the manufacturing premises, and it brings about erroneous irradiation to the RFID tag other than the examination object. Moreover, there is a possibility that the returning reflected wave, which is reflected on the traveling destination, interferes with the electric wave in the examination area, and thus an accurate examination cannot be done. In order to evade the situation like these so far, for instance, a special test atmosphere such as the RF anechoic chambers is needed in the examination that treats the electric wave. As a result, when the performance of the wireless communication performance is examined when the RFID tag is developed and manufactured, it is necessary to move the RFID tag to be examined to the RF anechoic chamber and the like, and this disturbs the development of the RFID tag and the efficiency improvement of manufacturing.
Moreover, to attempt the efficiency improvement of manufacturing even forcibly, it is carried out that the performance examination is executed on the line without moving the RFID tag now on manufacturing on the production line to the RF anechoic chamber and the like. However, in this case, or in the event that the RF anechoic chamber and the like cannot be prepared, the examination that suppresses the output of the electric wave from the antenna as much as possible is carried out to suppress the influence on the surrounding as much as possible. This is not enough as the performance examination.
Incidentally, the RFID tag installs a memory which stores information and the like exchanged with the outside by a wireless communication, and when the RFID tag is manufactured or the system constructs using the RFID tag, there are performed writing of information into the memory and confirmation of information in the memory. Writing and the confirmation of such information are performed by a wireless communication. There is proposed a technique (refer to Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-222206, for instance) in which while two or more RFID tags are transported along a predetermined transportation line, writing and the confirmation of information are sequentially carried out for each RFID tag, and the area where writing and the confirmation of information are performed is covered with a simple shield, so that the electric wave for the communication at the time when writing and confirming of information for a certain RFID tag are performed should not influence other RFID tag. If such a technique is applied to the above-mentioned performance examination, the examination of the communication performance becomes possible without using the RF anechoic chamber and the like to some extent.
However, according to the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-222206, there is needed the environment covered with the shield of a moderate size even though the simple shield that can be constructed on the production line for instance.
Though there is explained the problem on the performance examination of the communication performance of the RFID tag here, the problem as mentioned above might happen generally in the performance examination of the electronic device that operates in response to a predetermined radio wave signal, such as a circuit board to exchange the signal by the wireless for instance. As a reaction of such an electronic device, there are considered outputs of an radio wave signal and an electric signal, and beginning and termination of internal processing.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a test apparatus that can easily perform an enough performance examination of the communication performance of an electronic device that receives a predetermined radio wave signal and reacts, a test method capable of such a performance examination, and a manufacturing method of the electronic device that includes such a test method as a process.